Now I really just want to time travel back to World War I and have a soldier to knit sweaters for and write letters to.

I’m very glad that Ella is happy with Jules. I’m glad that they also get introduced Christianity.

sometimes I read this kind of saccharine stuff as a kid. I don't really remember it. in my head it's kind of lumped in with the betsy-tacy stuff I read. I think books like this are exactly why beverly cleary was such a breath of fresh air. I don't remember much of how I decided what to read as a kid; I don't seem to have been all that discriminating.

I have a better, deeper appreciation for these books since I've gotten older. I love the storylines and tidbits about the family's lives and customs. My favorite this book, though, was Henny. She reminds me of my sister. She was so fun! All in all, a lovely sort of book.

Fourteen cute little stories from the life of five sisters, and one little brother. It’s interesting to read about Jewish customs in early nineteenth century New York Bronx. It takes place during WW1.

Food’s on the Table, Tea Party, Ella Takes Over, Sabbath Without Mama, Dining Out, Out of the Frying, Pan, A Good Week, F’idyon Ha-Ben, Round and Round, The Naughty Nickle, The Red Boogey Man, The History Prize and Homecoming.

Fave stories: the pancake and the play about Ruth.

Another wonderful addition to the All-of-a-Kind Family series. I absolutely loved the Shavuos representation in this one!

Maybe *slightly* less wonderful than the first three books. Or maybe it’s just bc the girls are teenagers now — so my 9yo was a little less interested in their stories. But still charming!

It's hard to rate a young person's book as I'm sure if this had childhood memories for me, I'd rate it higher. Sweet family.

This was probably my favorite so far. I feel like the characters are finally starting to stand out on their own a bit and the plot wasn’t identical to the others.

I like how the maturity of the story increases as time goes on from book to book.

Cute!

All-of-a-Kind Family Uptown by Sydney Taylor is a perfect illustration of why I recommend everyone try reading a book at random. There are some absolute gems out there that might be beyond your normal scope of view. In last month's trip to the library I chose three books by random: A Traveller in Time, All-of-a-Kind Family Uptown and The Light in the Forest. So far, they have all been delightful.

All-of-a-Kind Family Uptown is the third in a series of semi-autobiographical books by Sydney Taylor about a Jewish family living in the New York in the first half of the 20th century. Uptown takes place around and during WWI and it was the WWI connection that first caught my eye.

The war, while a setting for book is only one part of it. Ella, Charlotte, Henny, Sarah, Gertie, and baby brother, Charlie must help their father cope while their mother is in the hospital with appendicitis. As the children are learning how to run a house hold while dealing with all the other day to day things like school, holidays and boyfriends, many of the early chapters cover what it took to run a home back then especially on a tight budget.

Then at a third level, the passage of time is marked by the inclusion of Jewish holidays. These moments bring the family to life and make me wish I'd been able to read and review the book in time for the Jewish Literature Challenge! In fact, there's now an award for Jewish children's literature named in honor of Sydney Taylor. The award even has its own blog.